Muddy Feeling
by Ryth76
Summary: A jealous Gaara lets his frustration over Naruto's obsession over Sasuke out and is saved from a new kind of loneliness. GaaNaru one-shot.


_Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto and I do not profit from writing this.

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**A/N: I said I would write it, and I did. One-shot GaaNaru! This one is a bit longer than the others. I forgot to turn on my timer until halfway done. Rated as two naked boys kissing in a communal shower together can be considered disturbing and perhaps rather sexual.  


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**Muddy Feeling**

"I don't know about this…" Naruto mumbled, covering his nose against the mucky, gritty smell exuding from the muddy pool. He blinked, barely able to make out the redheaded figure wrapped in a towel and working his way toward him from the other side. What had that sand guy gotten him into?

Gaara sunk down into the mud with a sigh. "It's very pleasant, Naruto. The mud is full of therapeutic minerals. It'll help you relax," he said, to which the Leaf ninja snorted skeptically.

The blond teenager looked up and down the rare sight of impeccably clean and decent Gaara waist deep in mud and naked, then answered, "If by relax you mean look terrible, then I guess you're right."

The ex-Jinchuuriki didn't twitch. He never twitched, unlike Iruka, who would now be all red and steamy with rage. No, Gaara just looked at him calmly for a moment, then coolly blinked. Gaara leaned back. "If I told you soaking in this mud pool improves your chakra system, allowing you to double your stren–!" He closed his mouth to avoid swallowing mud sent flying as Naruto jumped in, only to jump back out.

"Ouch! It's hot!" Naruto yelled. He worked his way slowly into the mud, careful to give himself time to get used to it. "Why doesn't it bother you?"

Gaara shrugged. "My sand acts like a barrier at first."

Naruto twitched and, yes, he was all red and steamy like Iruka. "I hate that sand…"

"I'm not fond of it either." Gaara glanced at the irritated Kyuubi boy. "But it keeps me from making a fool of myself."

He lifted an arm to block a ball of mud. Naruto huffed, leaning against the wall. He closed his eyes with a groan. The warm mud squelched between his toes and left his bare back loose and slippery. "Hey, this is nice."

He opened his eyes. "Hey, Gaara? Do you think Sasuke will ever come back?"

The Kazekage gave him a hard look. He looked away and answered, flatly, "I don't know, Naruto."

Naruto shifted awkwardly. "Wait, are you mad?" His eyes widened as Gaara halted. "You are, aren't you? Don't worry, I'll be careful chasing Sasuke. I've lived the past three years for this day. I will definitely bring him back in one piece."

Gaara muttered something under his breath. Naruto cocked an ear. "Uh, pardon?"

"Sasuke this and Sasuke that, you're always talking about that stupid boy," Gaara answered, moodily, casting an accusing eye on the startled boy resting beside him in the mud. "Can't you relax for a minute and just enjoy yourself for once, or do you enjoy obsessing over him?"

Naruto gaped, unable to believe what the former Ichibi host was saying. He snapped, "How can I relax when Sasuke is hurting himself?"

Gaara stood up, wrapping his towel modestly around himself. "I quit. Go cry to Sakura about your love problems." He fell silent, eyes wide. He blushed and ran out of the spa.

Naruto sat in the mud, shocked at Gaara's uncharacteristic outburst. Was Gaara implying he was gay for Sasuke? That was just stupid. Sasuke was like a brother, a rival friend. Sure, he was handsome and strong and troubled, but that wasn't why he was important. This was about Team 7 and about friendship, not love. Gaara was just jealous of all the attention given to Sas– Oh.

Naruto yelled, "Wait just a minute!"

He grabbed his towel and ran into the dressing room. He heard the hiss of shower water running from the communal men's shower. He slipped in, shivering against the downpour of not nearly so hot water. Gaara turned a deeper red and pursed his lips, turning away as he scrubbed harder at the already drying mud.

"Listen, Gaara, Sasuke is my friend. That's all he ever will be, okay?" Naruto glanced down at his towel, realizing it was now soaked from the shower spray. He removed it and reached for the soap like a normal patron

"Keep telling yourself that," he heard Gaara mutter over the torrent of water. The Kazekage rinsed the mud and shampoo from his hair. Naruto inhaled sharply as the water left white rivets in the mud on Gaara's muscular back. He looked away quickly.

"I'm serious. You have no reason to be jealous, promise." He never lied about promises. Gaara paused and turned to him at last, face streaked with water and mud. Naruto placed a hand on his shoulder reassuringly, amazed as always by the smooth muscle underneath the thin shoulder. "I like thinking about you, too."

He placed his hands on Gaara's jawline and leaned in to give the red head a peck on the lips. Before he could pull away, Gaara placed a hand behind the Konoha Jinchuuriki's head to hold the kiss longer. Naruto closed his eyes and dug his fingertips into Gaara's shoulder, memorizing every taste, every scent, and every sensation as they kissed. Warm water drizzled down over them as they stood side by side and the gritty mud trickled down skins reddened by either the warm mud or by their gentle kiss, or perhaps both. The hand on his head was warm.

They pulled away. Naruto jerked away, burning with something other than embarrassment or anger. Gaara frowned. "Naruto?"

Naruto turned to look at him morosely. "I'm sorry, Gaara. I guess I really am a useless friend. I left you all alone again."

Realization dawned on Gaara's face. They dried off and dressed in silence. Naruto stood up from putting on his sandals. He jumped as the Kazekage took his hand and squeezed it.

Gaara said simply, "I'm not alone now."

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**A/N: And thus ends the romantic one-shot of the only Naruto shounen-ai couple I will ever melt over.**


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